Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

QB Snapshot: Joe Flacco

The key to Flacco's success is his offensive line. Protect Flacco, and he won't make mistakes. That was underscored in Sunday's game against San Diego.

Flacco wasn't sacked. He wasn't hit. He didn't turn the ball over.

The protection was so good against the Chargers that he had an average of 3.12 seconds before throwing the ball, which was the third best time in Week 13, according to Pro Football Focus. Flacco was at his best when not pressured; he completed 13 of 18 passes for 178 yards and threw both his touchdowns.

The key for Flacco is not putting his team in bad situations. Last season, he didn't have as many weapons, and he forced too many passes. The result was a career-worst 22 interceptions.

This season, Flacco has been picked off eight times, a product of Gary Kubiak's efficient approach to offense. For the first time in four years, he's gone three games without throwing an interception. His most recent interception came at Pittsburgh on a play on which he acknowledged he "lost [his] mind." Flacco hasn't been picked off in 117 straight passes, which is 21 shy of his career-best streak.

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